All that mattered was her
by TheBoltShapedScar
Summary: It's the holiday right after Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. He's going to leave the Dursleys, and will probably never see them for the rest of his life. But what occupies him most is how to leave Ginny… HG


_**All that mattered was her**_

_**Summary:** It's the holiday right after Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. He's going to leave the Dursleys, and will probably never see them for the rest of his life. But what occupies him most; is how to leave Ginny… _

**Harry**

Harry Potter had been spending the last few weeks on Privet Drive and vicinity, trying hard to figure out how he was supposed to find Voldemorts horcruxes. Now; he was ready to leave, but he wasn't a lot closer to a resolution, than he had been those few weeks ago, when he finished his sixth and last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was very close to being sure of _what_ he had to find, thanks to Dumbledore, but _where_ and _how_ was the problem. Especially where. Harry had decided that unless Ron or Hermione had come up with some great idea, they should start at the orphanage where Voldemort had lived, and where Dumbledore had gotten the information about the cave. Harry didn't look forward to this. The situation itself reminded him a lot of Dumbledore, and every time Harry thought of the great wizard, he felt a jolt of pain in his chest. He walked slowly down the stairs, his wand pointed at his school trunk, which was floating in the air before him. In his left hand, he had Hedwig's cage. The owl herself was sleeping inside it.

It hadn't been easy to convince the Ministry that he had to be allowed to use magic, even if he wasn't 17 yet. If Dumbledore had been alive, he could've told them to, but he wasn't. Scrimgeour of course tried to make Harry tell him about his mission. "I can't just allow you to use magic," he had said with false regret in his voice. "But if you would just tell me why you need it so much…" At this point Harry had cut him off: "If you won't give me your permission to use magic, I'll have to wait 'till my birthday. It's sad and it will give Voldemort more time to gain followers and commit murder, but it's possible to wait one more month. I'm definitely not telling you about why I need to use magic or what Dumbledore told me, but I wouldn't ask for this if it wasn't of such a great importance to the wizarding world. It's only a little favour to do me, Scrimgeour, but it can be this, which makes all the difference between defeat and victory." He had used all his gifts of speech and finally Scrimgeour had given his permission. "I'm not sure if it's wise of you to be that loyal to Dumbledore," he had said. "But so be it. You can use magic from now on. You have my word."

When Harry entered the living room, all the Dursleys sat there. They immediately turned their heads towards him, when he entered. Dudley's expression was filled with relief. Harry knew that his cousin had been looking forward to this day. His aunt and uncle showed their hate for his kind, but both of them did their best not to show their fear. He guessed that Dudley did so too, he was just very bad at it. Uncle Vernon sat in his usual chair, and seemed like if he couldn't find out if wanted to be scowling because he had to talk to his nephew or look happy because he was finally getting rid of him. Harry hadn't been waiting anything else from the males in the house. It was Petunias face his eyes darted to. Her expression that surprised him. Behind her mask of hate and relief, he saw a glimpse of sorrow and regret. And he suddenly realised; all her hate towards him came from her childhood's jealousy against her sister and her husbands prejudice. _Perhaps_, he thought. _If I had stayed a bit longer, we could have been friends._ But he knew that they couldn't. The cleft between them was too deep. And still this expression on her face made him hope. Made him dare to believe, that his aunt had loved her sister.

Harry cleared his throat. "I just wanted to say goodbye," he say. His relatives nodded, none of them saying a word. "I'm leaving now, and I don't know if we'll ever see each other again." He paused, and then added what he wouldn't have said a year ago. Things had changed. "And thank you. You haven't treated me great; actually you have been awful to me, but Dumbledore's right. Even if you didn't like it, you took me. And that has protected me from Lord Voldemort whole my life." He sighed. "I can't say I'm going to miss you; that would be a lie, but believe me when I thank you. I mean it." Petunia looked at him. Her eyes more regretful than ever. "Goodbye," she whispered. Neither Vernon, nor Dudley spoke. "Goodbye," he answered.

Then he concentrated hard, and disapparated.

**Ginny**

"Mum," she called. "He's here! Harry's here!" Molly Weasley hurried out of her kitchen. "Where is he?" she asked. "I saw him right outside our house. Oh, it must be him," she said, when she heard somebody knock at the door. "Don't forget to ask him the password," her mother called, when Ginny ran back to the door to open it. _That's just typical mum_, she thought. _Harry's here and she ask for passwords!_ But she knew that it has to be done, so she bent down and spoke through the keyhole. "Good day Sir, what can I do for you?" she asked. "I would like to buy a redhead," he answered, and she couldn't help smiling. It was so long time ago she had heard his voice… "We've got a lot of them. Which one would you like?" "I would like Ginny." She opened the door. It was a part of the code that the person who wanted to enter, had to be able to recognize the person inside from his or her voice. For a moment Ginny stopped breathing. She had forgotten how good he looked. She had forgotten how much she loved him. And here he was. Ready to leave with her brother and her best friend. Ready to fight for all the good innocent people in the world. And ready to leave her. She pushed the thought aside, and gave him a big smile. He smiled back, and gave her a hug. "Hi Ginny," he whispered in her ear. "Good to see you. It's been a long time." "I've missed you too," she answered, but then let go of him, as she realized that Ron and Hermione were standing right behind her. "Bloody brilliant to see you mate!" It was her brother, of course, who said so. Harry grinned at him and they clasped hands, before hugging each other. Then he turned to Hermione. "And you're here too, Hermione! Excellent." "Of course I'm here," she smiled and hugged him. "Had a good summer?" He shrugged, but didn't have time to say anything else, because whole the Weasley family now came to say welcome. Ginny watched him as he said hello to them all. He seemed to relax, but there was something about him which she couldn't define. She let go of the feeling, and just enjoyed watching him. It had been both wonderful and terribly hard to hug him. Wonderful because it was so long time ago, hard because she couldn't kiss him and because it had been a friend's hug. Not a boyfriend's. She had missed him so much, even if she knew that they had split up, and she wouldn't really believe in it, but it seemed that the boy she loved stood by his word. He didn't want to bring her with him, even if she knew that he still loved her, or maybe because of that.

When her mother called that lunch was ready, all her happiness was gone.

**Harry**

They had finished eating, and Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in Ron's room, and discussed Harry's plan, but he felt very distracted. More than once, he found his thoughts wander and Hermione saying his name. What his thoughts wandered to; was Ginny. He had missed her all summer, thought it over and over, if it was right of him to break up with her. He had seen the pain in her eyes when they ate, and he had seen how she watched him when he said hello to her family.

"It's settled then?" Hermione's voice broke through his thoughts. He nodded, and saw Ron do the same. "Yeah," he said. "We'll start tomorrow."

The evening went on, but Harry couldn't bring his thoughts away from Ginny. At 9 p.m. he gave up, and announced that he went to bed.

He stood in the bathroom, watching his own reflection, when she entered. He turned his head and looked at her, but he didn't say a word. She locked the door behind her, and turned around to face him. He got shocked, when he saw tears in her eyes. Ginny was a strong girl. He hadn't expected her to be that sad. But then he realized that her tears were just as much tears of anger, as tears of grief. "I want to go with you," she whispered. He nodded. "I know Ginny, and you know that I know. We've spoken about this before." Now it was her time to nod. "But I've missed you so much. I don't want to let go of you again. Please, tell me that you understand me, Harry." Every line in her face was begging him, but still she held her head proudly. He couldn't lie to her. "I understand you Gin," he said hoarsely, "I've missed you terribly, but I can't bring you with me." He voice grew to a scream: "Why not? You're bringing Ron and Hermione. Is it just because they've got one more years experience? Is it? I've got an O in my Defence-owl, I've fought with you in the Ministry, and you don't think I'm good enough?" "Ginny, Ginny for god's sake! It isn't that. I know that you're a great fighter, I just try to take care of you." He felt panic rise in his chest. What could he do to make her understand? "I love you, Ginny," he said, calmer now. "And I could never forgive myself if you got hurt. Don't you understand?" She nodded. "I understand Harry, but you can't make me stay at home. _She moved closer to him. "I…" he mumbled, but then she let her lips find his, and he couldn't speak, neither when she broke off. "I'm going with you," she said. _

_And suddenly he couldn't fight anymore. He had missed her so much, and he couldn't help but find comfort in the thought that she was going with him. He pulled her back to the kiss, and wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes, and he felt her hands in his hair and his neck. He smelled her, tasted her, felt her. He loved her. She broke of, looked at him, and began crying again. She buried her face at his shoulder, and he felt her tears wet his clothes, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that she was here with him, and that he didn't have to leave her again. Did it matter that they were about to enter a hard and dark time? No. Did it matter that they probably would row sometimes? No. Did it matter that Mrs. Weasley would feel hurt? Not a lot. All that mattered was that she had chosen him, even if she knew that it wouldn't be like in those sweet careless days at Hogwarts. In the night before the hunt of the horcruxes, nothing was further away from his mind than Lord Voldemort._


End file.
